eBook

Independent Videogames

Ruffino, Paolo

2020,2021

Overview

Independent Videogames investigates the social and cultural implications of contemporary forms of independent videogame development. Through a series of case studies and theoretical investigations, it evaluates the significance of such a multi-faceted phenomenon within videogame and digital cultures. A diverse team of scholars highlights the specificities of independence within the industry and the culture of digital gaming through case studies and theoretical questions. The chapters focus on labor, gender, distribution models and technologies of production to map the current state of research on independent game development. The authors also identify how the boundaries of independence are becoming opaque in the contemporary game industry – often at the cost of the claims of autonomy, freedom, and emancipation that underlie the indie scene. The book ultimately imagines new and better narratives for a less exploitative and more inclusive videogame industry. Systematically mapping the current directions of a phenomenon that is becoming increasingly difficult to define and limit, this book will be a crucial resource for scholars and students of game studies, media history, media industries and independent gaming.

• Publisher: Routledge,Taylor & Francis Group
• Subject: Design / Social aspects / Social interaction / Video games / Video games industry
• ISBN: 9781000200997, 100020099X, 0367563401, 0367336200, 9780367563400, 9780367336202